Multitudes Rejoice Over the Falling of Babylon and the Second Coming
Bible Study Guide
This Bible study guide of the falling of Babylon will explore in-depth why heaven rejoices over the destruction of the world. We’ll also explore to understand who makes up this multitude of heavenly hosts.
I remember watching a large orchestra play a Christmas music ensemble. They played many of the popular Christmas songs my wife and I were familiar with. But when the dozens upon dozens of instruments across the enormous stage belted out their sound in perfect timing and unison with one another, it was almost a magical experience that made my spine tingle.
You might have experienced the same thing at some point in your life. This experience will pale in comparison to the multitudes of heaven when they rejoice over the falling of Babylon and the religious, political and economic beast system.
God’s Just Judgment Upon the Falling of Babylon Is Completed
(Verses 1-2) After the powerful visions that John saw of the falling of Babylon, he hears a sound. His attention moves from the lamenting on earth of Babylon’s final destruction to sounds coming from heaven.
The sound he hears is not just of a multitude of heavenly hosts. It’s coming from a great multitude of God’s heavenly hosts. Multitude means, “indefinite number.” A great multitude is difficult to wrap our minds around. But then again, this is heaven.
All of heaven rejoices over the salvation, glory and power of God. God’s judgments are true and just.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33)
Heaven rejoices over the final death of Satan’s controlled influence over mankind that has existed since the beginning. The innocent blood that has been spilled upon the earth by the pagan systems of mankind has been avenged with its own blood in the Tribulation.
(Verses 3-4) John gets a closer view of the throne room and witnesses a familiar sight. He sees the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures (angels) around the throne worshiping God.
Remember, John described to us the twenty-four elders and their role in the throne room in the first few chapters of Revelation.
By now, this scene must be extremely captivating for John. It’s likely it would be difficult for John to describe in human terms what he’s experiencing as he hears and watches the glorious sights and sounds from heaven.
John is about to get too emotionally involved and will need a slight correction from an angel.
The Heavenly Orchestra Rejoices
(Verse 5-8) “Hallelujah” is recorded only four times in the entire Bible. John records all four of those times here in this passage. The phrases “Hallelujah” and “Allelujah” are used interchangeably and have the same meaning. “Hallelujah” comes from the Hebrew translation and “Allelujah” comes from the Greek translation.
They’re both made up of two words. The Hebrew word halal (meaning praise), and the remainder being the shortened version for Yahweh (God).
Together the word Hallelujah means, “Praise the Lord!”
Notice, the first “Hallelujah” calls for heaven to rejoice in worship and praise for our God of heaven and earth. For retribution has finally come and the just judgment of God has been imposed upon an unbelieving world.
The second “Hallelujah” invites the twenty-four elders and four living creatures (angels) around the throne to join in the worship.
The third “Hallelujah” calls for an increase in the tempo of the worship and praise of God and all heavenly sounds join in. John likely could feel the vibration of the heavenly orchestra belting out praise for God as it approaches its peak.
The fourth “Hallelujah” calls for the crescendo of praise not only for rejoicing of the falling of Babylon, but the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb (Jesus) to his bride (church believers).
All of heaven rejoices because the One who everyone has been waiting for since he left is about to return (Second Coming of Christ). I hope you’re anxious as I am to see His return.
Behold, The Lamb of God
Notice the worship that comes from the fourth “Hallelujah” points not only to God but also to His perfect Lamb (Jesus). In fact, Jesus is called the Lamb twice in this part of the passage (verse 7 & 9).
Of all the names Christ holds in the bible, the Lamb of God is used more often than any other. Because this name points to the atoning work of Christ on the cross for the sins of mankind. He was the perfect unblemished sacrificial Lamb that became the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover Feast.
He took our sins to the cross, so that whoever might believe could become the righteousness of God.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The name the Lamb of God is used approximately 28 times in the Bible. Salvation belongs to God and is a free offering to mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ. No religion can add to it or take from it. The act of atonement was perfect and fully satisfied through the blood of Christ on the cross.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
(Romans 10:9-10)
The marriage of the Lamb and the bride (church believers) was modeled after Galilean traditions in order to help the people of Jesus’ day understand what He taught them. His disciples were Galileans and most of His ministry was in and around Galilee.
Speaking in terms of Galilean traditions helped those around Him understand His teachings.
To learn more on this topic, please visit the Bible study guide on the “The Wine, the Wedding, and the Rapture.”
The Falling of Babylon and the Evil It Has Brought Upon the World
Two questions have plagued mankind since the dawn of this age. They’re the same two questions that are still asked today about God.
The first being, how can God allow so much evil in our world? Evil is a terrible thing. It is the work of Satan and his angels. It opposes God in all its forms. We know one day that there will be rejoicing because it’ll all be destroyed and gone for good.
But there is one flaw with this question. It points the finger in the wrong direction. It wrongfully points to God as the fault for evil in the world. The question should be directed to mankind. It should ask, why does mankind oppose the God of all creation and allow itself to bring upon the world so much evil through its pagan ambitions?
Unbelievers will point their finger to God. But true biblical Christians understand and will point their finger to a pagan unbelieving world.
The second question that has plagued mankind to this day. How is evil and those who oppose God allowed to prosper in this world?
The Old Testament Psalmist struggled with this question. Many prophets throughout Bible history have struggled in understanding this. Remember, Christ taught us what a person would receive in their attempt of unrighteous and unholy earthly gains.
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2)
Evil earthly gains are the reward for those who pursue such things. The believers in Christ have their reward waiting for them through the blood of Christ our Savior.
The Answer To the Calls for Retribution Upon Babylon Have Arrived
We see even up to the time of Revelation 6, the call of those believers who were martyred during the Tribulation will cry out for retribution upon Babylon and it’s evil system controlled by Satan.
“They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” (Revelation 6:10-11)
Their answer to their call for justice and the answer to all those throughout history who’ve called upon God for His just judgment on all evil has been finally answered in the falling of Babylon and its worldly systems.
Because of this, heaven rejoices in a sound likely difficult for John to describe in words for the human mind to understand. But nevertheless, John does his best to convey God’s message to us.
It appears that John is about to get too emotionally charged in the midst of all the powerful heavenly worship he’s hearing. His emotions are running high and he’s left with an urgent desire to enter in on the praise and worship of God that’s taking place.
“Worship Only God!”
(Verses 9-10) Revelation is a book filled with blessings. Unlike any other book of the Bible, it contains a blessing at the beginning of the book and at the end of the book. John hears another blessing being spoken by an angel.
“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
(Revelation 19:9)
It’s highly likely that John was so caught up in emotions and saw so many heavenly hosts worshiping the Creator, he felt he had to join in the worship. But John’s aim was quite a bit off. The angel, in the spirit of Christ, lovingly and kindly redirected John’s worship to the One who deserves all our praise.
The angel who tells John to worship God only gives us a slight peak behind the curtain as to our relationship to angels. The angels are fascinating heavenly hosts and God reveals them to us throughout the entire Bible.
In this case, the angel places John on the same level as himself. They’re both servants of God and both worship God. Jesus revealed this to the people of His day in Matthew’s gospel account.
“At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” (Matthew 22:30)
Following me to the next Bible study guide as we meet up with the greatly anticipated King of kings and Lord of lords.